Council OKs golf fee, regs changes

The Neosho City Council voted Tuesday to approve an amended resolution changing a few regulations and fees at the Neosho Municipal Golf Course.

Whitney Saporito

The Neosho City Council voted Tuesday to approve an amended resolution changing a few regulations and fees at the Neosho Municipal Golf Course.

Troy Royer, Neosho city manager, proposed the changes, many of which had been agreed upon in recent Parks, Recreation and Golf Course board meetings.

The City of Neosho took over operation of the 18-hole course on March 1, following the departure of former golf course manager Justin Beck, who had operated the course on a contractual basis.

Royer said the fee and regulation changes had been reviewed prior to Beck's departure, though he felt it best to wait until after the golf course transition had taken place to propose the updates to council.

The approved changes include the addition of a riding cart fee of $6 per person for nine holes of play and $12 per person for 18 holes of play, which had previously not been listed in the resolution.

While the senior rate of $22, which runs Monday through Thursday, would stay the same, a weekend senior rate was also added, and would run $25 for 18 holes of play Friday through Sunday and on legal holidays.

All active and retired military personnel with identification would also be allowed to play for the posted senior rate. Previously the course had not offered a military discount.

Though the original golf course fee schedule had included the option of twilight green fees, to be set then by the golf course superintendent and agreed upon by the city manager, those twilight fees have now been set. A twilight green fee of $22 for play Monday through Thursday and $25 for play Friday through Sunday, including a cart, was approved. The twilight rate is effective after 2 p.m. in winter months and after 4 p.m. in summer months.

With the city now running the course, council members also approved free play for current and retired city employees with a valid city photo ID card.

The approved resolution changes also modify the course's annual pass regulations, requiring that those be paid in full at the time of purchase. While the council members discussed allowing the passes to expire one year from the day of purchase, they opted to instead allow all passes to expire April 1.

"I think it's important that we do it April 1 because if you don't, there's been a lot of problems in the last few years with people going out there and playing for free," said councilman David Ruth. "To make it easier for the golf course staff to know everybody's course status, it comes up due April 1, full payment due, no payment plan, a payment plan was never authorized by the council."

Royer said those passes purchased after April 1 would be pro-rated.

The annual passes run for $575 for unlimited play with a golf cart not included, $1,200 for unlimited play and golf cart use and $499 for a senior annual pass for unlimited play without a golf cart.

Royer also noted that the passes are not valid during tournament play.

He said to make up for that, the course will offer promotions, which was also included in his proposal Tuesday evening. While the former wording of the resolution defined junior golfers as ages 10 to 18, Royer proposed, as was agreed upon by the Parks, Recreation and Golf Course board, that the age be changed to 15 and under.

However, councilmen Ruth and Tom Workman questioned why that age was reduced.

"Keep in mind the reason you want to have a youth fee is because we need golfers in the future and a high school kid can't always afford to pay the full fee," Ruth said. "We want to get them started playing golf at a young age so that they'll continue to play golf and continue to be a source of revenue in the future."

Council agreed to amend the resolution, setting the junior golfer age to 18 and younger.

For more on Tuesday's council meeting, see Friday's edition of the Neosho Daily News.